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Analyze That (2002) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Analyze That (2002) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2002 · 96 min · English
Directed by
Harold Ramis
Starring
Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow
Budget
$60M

While incarcerated, mob boss Paul Vitti exhibits strange behavior, appearing catatonic. FBI agents are uncertain whether this is a genuine mental breakdown or a deliberate ploy to manipulate the system and gain an early release from prison. The situation becomes increasingly complex as they try to determine the truth behind his actions.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (3)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Analyze That (2002)

Where can you watch Analyze That? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on YouTube Free, Amazon Video and Apple TV Store: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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3 main characters · contains spoilers

Analyze That Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Analyze That (2002), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro)

    Paul Vitti is a loud and charismatic ex-mobster facing the repercussions of his past. His desperation to reinvent himself leads to comedic misadventures, revealing the dichotomy of his feared persona and genuine longing for connection.

    • 👮‍♂️ Ex-convict
    • 😂 Comedic
  • Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal)

    Ben Sobel is a psychiatrist reluctantly thrust into the chaotic orbit of Paul Vitti. His apprehensive nature contrasts with Paul's unpredictable antics, providing a humorous lens through which to examine their relationship and the fallout from Paul's criminal ties.

    • 🩺 Therapist
    • 🕵️‍♂️ Investigator
  • Patti LoPresti (Lisa Kudrow)

    Patti LoPresti serves as the scheming associate who complicates Paul's life with her own motives. Her character highlights the treachery within the criminal underworld, playing a pivotal role in both the heist and the unfolding drama.

    • 🕵️‍♀️ Schemer
    • 💔 Complexity

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:46

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Setting

Where and When Does Analyze That Take Place?

The setting of Analyze That (2002): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

The movie is set in contemporary times, reflecting modern-day society's challenges. It explores the complexities of the crime world intertwined with the characters' personal journeys, highlighting issues of loyalty, survival, and comedic misadventures.

Location

Sing Sing, Brooklyn

Sing Sing is a notorious prison located in New York, known for its high-profile inmates and strict security. It serves as the backdrop for Paul's impending release and the ensuing chaos. The Brooklyn waterfront, marked by its iconic bridges, represents both a place of reflection and camaraderie for the main characters.

  • 🏛️ Prison
  • 🌉 Waterfront

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:46

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3 major themes

Analyze That Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Analyze That (2002) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Identity

    The theme of identity plays a crucial role as Paul Vitti struggles to reconcile his past as a mobster with his new life post-prison. His masquerade of insanity is emblematic of his desire to escape his old self while navigating the chaotic world around him.

  • Employment Challenges

    Paul's attempts to find legitimate work underline the comedic theme of employment challenges. His abrasive personality and criminal background lead to humorous situations, emphasizing the difficulty for ex-convicts to reintegrate into society.

  • Crime and Consequences

    The backdrop of organized crime uniquely frames the narrative, showcasing the consequences of criminal actions. Paul's decisions not only affect his fate but also embroil his therapist, Ben, into a dangerous world filled with unexpected twists.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:46

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Character & theme questions

Analyze That Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Analyze That (2002): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Who is Paul Vitti?

Paul Vitti is a loud and charismatic ex-mob boss portrayed by Robert De Niro. After serving time in prison, he struggles to reinvent himself and escape his criminal past while dealing with the chaotic world of organized crime. His desperate attempt to build a new life leads to comedic misadventures that reveal his feared exterior contrasting with a genuine longing for connection.

  • paul vitti
  • mob boss
  • robert de niro
  • ex-convict
Q2

Who is Ben Sobel?

Ben Sobel is a psychiatrist played by Billy Crystal who becomes reluctantly entangled with Paul Vitti after Paul's release from prison. His apprehensive and analytical nature contrasts sharply with Paul's unpredictable behavior, creating a humorous dynamic as Ben tries to help Paul while getting pulled into dangerous criminal situations.

  • ben sobel
  • psychiatrist
  • billy crystal
  • therapist
Q3

Who is Patti LoPresti?

Patti LoPresti is a scheming associate played by Lisa Kudrow who complicates Paul Vitti's life with her own hidden motives. Her character introduces treachery into the narrative, playing a key role in both the heist subplot and the unfolding drama that ensues after Paul's release.

  • patti lopresti
  • lisa kudrow
  • schemer
  • associate
Q4

Where is the movie set?

The movie primarily takes place in Sing Sing, a notorious prison in New York known for its high-profile inmates and strict security. The Brooklyn waterfront, marked by iconic bridges, serves as a secondary location representing both reflection and camaraderie for the main characters.

  • sing sing
  • brooklyn
  • prison
  • new york
  • locations
Q5

When does the movie take place?

The movie is set in contemporary, modern-day times, reflecting current societal challenges. This contemporary setting allows the film to explore themes relevant to today's world, including the difficulties ex-convicts face when reintegrating into society.

  • contemporary
  • modern
  • time period
  • present day
Q6

What is the identity theme about?

The identity theme centers on Paul Vitti's struggle to reconcile his past as a feared mobster with his desire for a new life outside prison. His masquerade of insanity serves as a symbolic attempt to escape his old identity while navigating the chaotic world around him, exploring questions of who we become after our past defines us.

  • identity
  • masquerade
  • self-discovery
  • reinvention
Q7

What is the employment challenges theme about?

The employment challenges theme follows Paul Vitti's humorous attempts to find legitimate work after his prison release. His abrasive personality and criminal background create absurd situations that comically highlight the real difficulties ex-convicts face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce and build honest lives.

  • employment
  • jobs
  • reintegration
  • ex-convict
  • work
Q8

What is the crime and consequences theme about?

The crime and consequences theme uses organized crime as a backdrop to showcase how criminal actions ripple outward affecting others. Paul's decisions not only shape his own fate but also drag his psychiatrist Ben into a dangerous world filled with unexpected twists, illustrating how crime rarely affects only the criminal.

  • organized crime
  • consequences
  • mob
  • decisions
  • fallout
Q9

What is the relationship between Paul Vitti and Ben Sobel?

Paul Vitti and Ben Sobel have an unlikely relationship between a mob boss and his psychiatrist. Ben was assigned to evaluate Paul during his incarceration and finds himself reluctantly drawn back into Paul's chaotic orbit after Paul's release, becoming an unwilling participant in criminal activities while trying to help Paul go straight.

  • relationship
  • psychiatrist-patient
  • dynamic
  • partnership
Q10

Is this a comedy or crime film?

Analyze That is primarily a comedy that uses crime elements as its foundation, blending mobster humor with slapstick situations. The film maintains a light, humorous tone throughout, playing dangerous scenarios for laughs rather than genuine tension, making it a crime comedy that satirizes both the mob genre and the struggles of reintegration.

  • comedy
  • crime
  • genre
  • tonal
  • mood

Movie threads

More Movies Like Analyze That, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Analyze That tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about criminals in therapy like Analyze That

Tough guys and gangsters forced into self-discovery and unlikely friendships. If you liked the dynamic of a mob boss faking insanity and working with a therapist in Analyze That, you'll enjoy these movies. This collection features hilarious and heartfelt stories about tough guys, gangsters, and criminals who are forced into therapy, leading to unexpected friendships and personal change.

  • comedic
  • irreverent
  • unlikely friendship
  • therapy
  • redemption
  • playful
  • Tone: light, humorous
  • Pacing: fast, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative revolves around a cynical, rule-breaking individual from a criminal world being forced to conform to the rules of therapy or psychological evaluation. The conflict between their tough exterior and the process of introspection drives the story, often resulting in comedic misunderstandings, moments of genuine growth, and a climactic situation where their old and new lives collide.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their central premise of criminal-therapy dynamics, sharing a lighthearted tone that finds humor in the contrast between violence and vulnerability. They focus on character-driven comedy, the friction of two opposing worlds, and themes of redemption through unlikely connection.

Zany crime capers and chaotic heist movies like Analyze That

Fast-paced comedies where elaborate plans spiral into slapstick misadventures. Fans of the fast-paced, irreverent heist and mob war chaos in Analyze That will love these films. This selection features comedies where criminal plans go absurdly wrong, leading to a series of playful misadventures, slapstick humor, and a generally lighthearted take on the crime genre.

  • slapstick
  • chaotic
  • playful
  • heist
  • mischievous
  • lighthearted
  • Tone: lighthearted, irreverent
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot follows a group, often an odd couple or mismatched team, as they attempt a crime or navigate the criminal underworld. Their plan quickly unravels due to incompetence, bad luck, or interpersonal friction, leading to a domino effect of comedic situations. The journey is prioritized over the destination, celebrating the chaos itself.

Why they belong together: These movies share a core identity of playing crime for laughs. They combine a fast pace with a light tone, using criminal plots as a backdrop for physical comedy, witty dialogue, and character-based humor. The experience is defined by its playful irreverence and lack of genuine danger.

Every angle

Analyze That (2002) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Analyze That in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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